In Your World
by helebette
Summary: After Neverland, after the chaos passes for some time, Emma tries to get a grip on herself and on her feelings for Regina. She probably tries to get a grip on Regina as well, but maybe that goes without saying. Ok, anyhoo, some serious themes will actually be dealt with as well. This will be a short, 3-4 chapter story.
1. Chapter 1

She's on her way home, when the cheesy ringtone she's assigned Regina sounds in her pocket. Her key misses the door and she fumbles for her phone.

_I ain't missing you at all…_

The song from a movie they'd watched together, awhile back. One of Henry's favorites—about a zombified teenage boy who falls for a still-human girl. They're probably indulging the kid too much these days, but it can't be helped. They almost lost him. More than once.

"I bought wine yesterday, Regina." She says loudly into the phone. No biggie, their wine rack is super full. Oh but Regina wants a particular kind of Chianti to go with the red sauce she's made. "Fine, it's cool, I can stop on my way. See you soon."

The scars of Neverland are still fresh. But because they couldn't bear to be parted for longer than a day—after days and days apart in the weirdest places on earth—Henry and his two mothers are holed up in a house together. For however long.

Thing is…it works. It works, and they're all joined at the hip now anyway. Snow and Regina haven't talked things out all at once or anything, but they tolerate each other. Sometimes, Emma even sees some flash of caring between them.

And anyway, it's not like they all have a choice. Snow isn't even sure that the town wants her to lead the same way they used to. Nobody wants Regina to lead but they tolerate it—the fucked up royals all taking turns signing acquisition forms and throwing fairs, Snow and Regina practically on the same page at times.

Emma had started to figure out what it takes to be a good mom right around the time she started to feel like she was part of a larger family more generally. It became easier to share custody with Regina when they were both living in somewhat close proximity.

That's what she tells herself, from time to time, when she worries about just how long the arrangement _will _last.

At first, Emma took a place next door to Regina and Henry. But when the neighbors returned from some bizarre year abroad (in such exotic locals as Schenectady, New York, and Timmins, Ontario) Emma had to give up the nearly empty house to the fairies.

"Look what they brought me." She led Regina and Henry to the backyard where a rusted bear-trap (closed up long ago) and a bag of arrowheads sat (still sit) next to a random assortment of logs and driftwood. "Oh, and this." She handed Regina a gigantic whiskey bottle of maple syrup as well.

She's still got all kinds of weirdness in her life—with her parents trying to set her up with every prince left in Storybrooke and the continued attentions of a certain pirate who insists that she sail the high seas with him whenever they go out for a casual beer with one another—but Emma forces things to just stay calm. "I just want peace and quiet and no more wraiths and no more bean stalks and no more…whatevers…anythings…from the Enchanted Forest or anywhere else." She yammers on over dinner with Regina and Henry whenever the kid asks her something about the Enchanted Forest or some damned thing. He's just curious, and it doesn't bother Regina, so sometimes Emma fills in some gap about her adventures.

What's more important is to get Henry to open up about his time in Neverland. They have Archie for that.

And then there's this: it's pretty obvious after some time has passed, that Regina likes having Emma around.

She asks her to do all kinds of little chores. Not just dishes or sweeping or stuff like that, but other stuff, like painting the den with her. They spend a weekend re-arranging furniture in some of the guest rooms, trying to make things more open. "Less old timey." Regina quips, waving a bottle of wine in Emma's direction with an enigmatic smile.

The room beside Regina's bedroom is small, but Emma likes it just fine so she parks herself there. They can share a closet then, after Emma comes home one afternoon to find Regina with a contractor. She's chuffed that Regina chose to give her her own closet door, but sort of annoyed that the muscle-bound carpenter guy is making eyes at Regina. It'd just complicate things, of that she's sure.

"Who was that guy?" She waits until the guy is gone and Regina is happily checking his work over. Feigning innocence, Emma leans against the wall and watches Regina examining the corners.

"Him?" Regina frowns. Then she rolls her eyes. "To quote you, Emma, _relax_." She sort of sulks for an hour or two after that, until Emma realizes that she hadn't thanked her and finally does so—with a large glass of wine and a pat on the arm.

They don't touch one another much. They've hugged, more than once, and they've touched at times when some terrible thing seemed to be on the verge of happening. But when their son, or their town, aren't in peril, they just sort of stay close. In one another's space, but never making any overt gestures.

It's like they're travelling side by side, working together to make a home and a family, but rarely acknowledging what the other needs. In each other's orbits. In this strange world.

Unless, of course, there's a problem. Then, someone panics, totally sure that the shit is hitting the fan all over again.

The first ripples appear six months into living together. It's a day like any other, but twenty minutes before she's set to finish her shift, Emma gets an emergency call from Archie's. A young shape-shifter is there, throwing all of the Psychiatrist's stuff about, angry that he wants her to stay away from magic for a week or two. It's a mess and Emma gets caught up and doesn't notice her phone buzzing in her pocket for a full hour.

By the time she gets all twenty messages, Regina is already on her way with Henry. Both are convinced that something is terribly wrong with her and both look close to tears. When Regina storms into the office, slamming the door across the room with the force of her magic, and ties the shape-shifter in a golden rope, Emma has a twinge of fear.

"I'm fine, I'm sorry, it was just chaos here." Emma tries to explain and reassure, but then Henry's got one of her arms and Regina has the other, and she's being practically dragged to Regina's car.

They're quiet on the way back to the house. The kid goes off to shower and Regina sits in the den with Emma, the way they did on that first rainy night, when Emma left Boston for good.

And then Henry comes downstairs, his hair wet, a robe over his pajamas, just like Regina often wears on damp, cool days. Emma feels some stupid rush of affection at the sight of them together, smiling with relief and she just chokes up and has to excuse herself. She hears them talking about her in the den. Regina assures Henry that his other mother is more than capable of taking care of both her job and herself.

For some reason, Emma can't breathe. It's relief and panic and fierce love, all rolled up in one storm of emotion.

She takes the next day off work and makes breakfast for the two of them. Then she spends the day cleaning and trying not to think about the look that had been on Regina's face when they'd gotten home the night before.

The next day is all hers. She sees Regina and Henry off and makes herself a cup of coffee to drink while she reads the paper. During the afternoon, she wanders through the house, sweeping, dusting, washing windows. It's really relaxing. It reminds her of days at one of her better foster homes. When the family would leave and she'd stay behind, doing housework, hanging out…

"That's terrible." Regina snapped when she heard this particular story months ago.

But it all serves to distract her from something she's realized about herself and about Regina—something that worries her more than it should.

Like how good it felt to hear about Regina's faith in her.

Or how awe-inspiring the woman could be in full fledged mom mode, standing up to some ridiculous shape-shifter, standing up for _her_. For Emma.

It makes her skin feel hot and tight and her heart feel like maybe it's going to beat its way out of her chest.

For how fucking long she's had romantic feelings for Regina Mills, she can't be totally sure. But when the fog lifts, it lifts fast, and it leaves Emma with only this realization: that she's been in love with Regina for a long-ass time by now.

After manically cleaning the entire top floor, Emma throws on a hoodie, zips it up, and makes her way downtown to the grocery store. She's shoveling more wine, some vegetables, and some pasta into her cart, zipping around the store like it's her job, when _Missing You_ comes on the radio that the manager keeps in his office.

A minute later, as Emma stands frozen in the middle of the frozen food aisle, the song plays on her phone as well.

"Huh." She stares down at her phone. Things feel…out of sync. Again. She fights a surge of panic.

But Regina wants fennel for a sauce she's making. Which Emma already has in her cart. She's pleased that Emma read her mind or something because they're having a different kind of pasta tonite. When she comments that they're in sync or something, Emma yelps and says,

"Gotta go!" hanging up quickly.

She drives home slowly, taking all kinds of back roads. When she finally gets back, Regina rushes out to meet her.

"Are you all right?" She calls out from the porch. Emma nods as she walks toward her. In her mind, she can remember some of the lyrics from the song she'd been listening to.

_Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath, and I'm still standing here, and you're miles away…_

And there's a moment when she considers turning right around and leaving.

Because it's really too much, all of this, all at once.

They've been shoving their fears down and down. Stress, Emma knows, can unravel a person just so suddenly.

But then Regina takes a bag from her hands and brushes her fingertips against Emma's arm. She leans close and says, "If you don't mind, I'll take some of this for the sauce now." Her hair still smells faintly like incense from the night before.

Nodding, Emma peels off her hoodie, earning a confused look from Regina at the state of her flimsy, dirty tank top beneath. Emma's heart aches in rhythm with her feet as they carry her to the kitchen.

"You might want to…" Regina starts, but Emma cuts her off, washes her hands, and gets to work chopping vegetables. She tries again. "Do you want to change?"

Emma shakes her head. But she's distracted when she turns back to her knife and veggies. On her first attempt at cutting some spring onions, she cuts her finger and swears loudly.

It's a matter of seconds, a heartbeat, and Regina is on her, tugging her toward running water and holding her hand beneath the stream. She patches it quietly, hands her hand back and says "there, all better," with that same smile she had on her face when Emma climbed out of that well that time. Back from the Enchanted Forest. And Regina had been happy to see her. Sad, as well, no doubt thinking Henry would leave again.

But damn—no way would she take the kid from Regina. Regina's a good mom. And she's the most beautiful woman Emma has ever seen, in the whole stupid wide world.

And Emma's heart skips another beat. She grimaces. Holds her finger out. Regina rolls her eyes and swipes it away, "I'm not kissing it better for goodness sake." But she's so close and her eyes are the color of amber and for some odd reason, Emma swoops in for a completely unexpected kiss, surprising herself as much as Regina.

If Emma had to make some stupid statement about that first kiss, it'd be in clichés. About the earth standing still and time freezing and her skin just lit up, all afire, and…all of that. Regina's lips are moist and warm. She tastes like mint. And when her tongue sneaks out to touch Emma's, a river of fire snakes into Emma's belly. And they're the perfect height for one another. Emma can cup Regina's face with one hand and hold her hip with the other, their noses touching, their lips meshing for a kiss that makes Emma's toes curl.

Of course when they pull away, Regina says, "We can't do that."

"Why not?" Emma walks away, back to her chopping station.

A few minutes pass in silence. Then Emma feels those same strong hands at her shoulders now. They slide down her back and around her waist. "We can't…" She hears and answers again, "Why can't we?"

"What do you want me to do?" Regina asks in the silence.

"Whatever you want to do."

It's dizzying, how fast they go. Emma's dizzy anyhow. What with those hands suddenly unzipping her jeans, lifting her shirt, and Regina's breath at her ear, ragged and shuddering. Then there's one hand on her breasts, testing, too light and fleeting then firmer when she grips it and presses, the other hand down her underwear, fumbling until Emma tugs her jeans down and leans over…

They hear the door open and Emma immediately yelps. Regina's nails scraped her painfully as they exited and she apologizes profusely, trying to help Emma with her clothing.

"What's going on?" It's Henry's voice, worried, not yet in the kitchen.

"Nothing, I'm just. Your mother cut her finger. I'm just helping to get the blood from her shirt."

"You're not fighting are you?" He's peering in then, but Emma's back is to him.

"No, sweetheart, go upstairs and wash up for dinner." Regina's voice is the one that makes him listen the quickest.

"But…"

"Henry." Her voice isn't a shout but it's authoritative and Henry sighs, shrugs, and eventually gives in.

"_Aaaaaaall _right. But I have news. So don't kill one another while I'm gone." He bounds up the stairs and they can hear him throwing his backpack on the floor somewhere.

Regina does Emma's jeans up for her and they're in the clear.

It takes a load of time for the kid to get to his good news, but apparently, his science project, a chemistry set co-created with Regina, is going to be used in science lessons in future.

"You two are geniuses. I'm very proud." Emma's voice sounds squeaky and annoying to her ears. And then she starts to get stupidly moist, like her eyes tear up and—dammit. Ridiculous.

"It's ok." Henry pats her hand and smirks. "We're pretty amazing, but we're not that amazing."

Regina rolls her eyes but mimics his smirk. They both stare at Emma like she's a special, rare thing. They also do all of the clean-up themselves, letting Emma relax with a glass of wine in the living room.

By 10pm, Henry is done for the night. He snickers about something on his way upstairs, glancing over his shoulders to where Emma and Regina talk quietly on the couch, their heads close together.

"Is he gone?" Emma can't help but whisper.

"What are we, teenagers? Yes, he's gone." Regina grasps her shirt—the blue one because she thankfully changed before dinner—and yanks her close.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey lovely peeps, thanks a bunch for those reviews today**** I'm trying to finish this story fast. It's really a simple story. Emma and Regina are just trying to live life in Storybrooke—to be happy. Das about it. So this is the second chapter (a bit more nc-17, be warned) and there should be more in the next few days. Thanks again!**

The next morning sees Emma scampering off to work with a really awkward hickey below her jawline (her black turtleneck barely covers it) and an ache between her as-of-yet untouched thighs. It's weird, in a way, because if Regina were just some guy…well. She might not have overthought it. Might have just let it sweep her away for a quick moment or two.

But it feels like so much more than a quick roll in the hay, and Emma wants to take at least a little time.

They'd made out against a wall, then a banister, then a door—the handle of which had made a long dark bruise on Emma's ass. Then, without realizing she'd be the one to pull the plug, Emma had shoved Regina away. As gently as possible, of course, and ignoring the smirk that said she obviously wanted more.

"We'll…I'll…uhhh…" Emma, always articulate, had just clutched at her own neck and reached out to caress Regina's, as though she might find answers to her very life's journey in the flutter of the woman's pulse.

There was a quick and oddly shy kiss goodnight, and then Regina was gone.

Sleep had not come until very, very late. So it was with a fair amount of exhaustion that Emma wandered off to work.

A domestic disturbance, two small car accidents (some of the fairytale characters were still shit drivers apparently) and resulting paperwork ate her day.

She gets home at 4pm, super early, and certainly early enough to avoid a certain roommate. But she hears the clanking of pans and mixing bowls. When she reaches the kitchen, she leans and watches a minute before saying anything.

"Baking?" Duh.

"I…" Regina bites back what should have been a sarcastic reply and nods tersely.

"Come on then…" Emma waits with a smile playing on her lips. Regina is wearing the adorably nerdy apron that Henry bought her weeks ago. It's got the words 'dude with the food' written on the front and for some reason, Regina wears it anyway.

"I was going to say, 'no, Emma, I'm building a nuclear reactor' but I thought we were past my rude commentary?" Regina chuckles and they both relax again.

It's obvious that they're both wondering what to do next. So Emma diffuses the situation by wandering upstairs to shower and change.

Dinner is uneventful but dessert goes on and on. Henry eats his mother's cakes and pastries like he's starving for sugar, but Emma and Regina pick and things and shoot each other shy looks throughout the meal.

"So did Terrence's dad's car get towed today?" Henry asks loudly while Emma stirs her tea yet again. "He's a kid in my class. His dad rear-ended an old lady today because he only learned to drive after the curse was broken and sometimes he drives into the side of their house when he's backing in." Henry laughs and laughs at this but Emma makes a mental note—meeting Regina's startled gaze—to toughen some of the licensing laws. Henry adds, "I heard he paid for the woman's car and that she baked him a cake afterward. Now he's fixing her roof. Weird people."

By the time they get through with dishes and Henry makes his tenth request for a movie night, Emma can feel her knees shaking. The thought of kissing Regina again is killing her. Killing her and making her feel like the world is at her feet. While Henry clambers downstairs ahead of them, Emma lets her hand brush against the back of Regina's neck. The kid doesn't even turn around when Regina does, and he doesn't hear or see the brief but heated kiss his moms share.

The movie is some musical with only The Beatles songs playing throughout and it drives Emma crazy. Not because she doesn't like the music, but because the love stories are so angsty she feels like screaming. And when the movie's only lesbian starts singing to the cheerleader she's in love with, Emma's stomach starts to hurt so badly she has to leave.

Regina finds her hyperventilating in the kitchen. She listens patiently while Emma babbles on about 'ruining things' and sending the town into a tizzy or something. She just takes her hand. And once again, they're side by side, and Emma feels herself calming with the circle they've created.

And because Emma is still nervous, Regina speaks quietly and says, "perhaps, after Henry goes to bed, we might spend some time…"

It's Emma who pounces first, again, pulling Regina close for a hug. She lets her arms cross over the woman's back and holds her tight. It isn't easy to avoid the montage of images that speed behind her closed eyes—Henry's lifeless body in Neverland, the eclipse they created, the cold reflection of water everywhere—but she breathes and holds on while Regina's fingers sink into her hair.

Henry barely glances up at them when they get back. He's listening to music, playing a small hand-held video game, and watching the movie all at the same time, leaving his mothers free to watch in silence, close together. They don't make it through the second half before all three are yawning. And this time, when Regina glances at the clock, Henry voluntarily goes off to bed.

But he pauses, his back to them. He turns briefly, his hand on the railing.

"I'm taking a guest room at the other side of the house." He says before running off.

Emma gasps while Regina grimaces. "He knows?" Emma's voice is tight.

"Oh damn, who knows." Comes the reply. "He's older now. Have you heard his voice lately? What in the hell are we going to do with him when things start changing…" Regina swallows hard.

"Neal." Is the answer that is easiest and they both start snickering like idiots, Regina visibly relieved.

Regina takes her hand when they reach Emma's door, and pulls her beyond it.

Seconds after the door closes behind tem, their lips smash together in a rather ungraceful kiss. Emma pulls back with a gasp and asks, "How long have you wanted this?" Her stomach swoops to around her feet it feels like, when Regina runs her hands over her neck and chest and trails her lips over Emma's. Emma leans again, her eyes open, swipes her tongue across Regina's lower lip and demands entry. Regina's lips part and their tongues meet heatedly, lips slippery wet.

Regina slows the kiss again, moving sensuously over her mouth, kissing the corners, then pushing Emma's chin up to access her neck. She mutters, "I've wanted this long enough." Her hands pull Emma's shirt apart, somehow undoing buttons easily without popping them, and she slides her palms over Emma's bare back as she takes Emma's tongue in her mouth and sucks lightly.

It all works to evoke a gush between Emma's legs and she moans. And she suddenly can't be close enough. Not after everything that's led up to this. All of the wanting, all of the pent up desire, all of the denial and danger.

After a long, long time, Regina pulls away. Her lips are swollen and wet, her shirt is half open, revealing a black lace cami and bra, and her hair is mussed from where Emma just kept running her hands through it again and again.

Regina takes her hand, gets to her feet. And they move to the bed, where Emma tugs off her shirt completely, and lays back.

She cups the back of Regina's head as the other woman stretches over her.

"Quiet, we have to be quiet." Regina murmurs, brushing her lips gently over Emma's. They undress quickly and quietly then, separately as well after extracting themselves from one another.

When they settle beneath the sheets, Regina is on top, intent it seems on taking control. Emma is in such a haze of want, her senses all lit up at once, that she gladly relinquishes control.

"I have something…if you don't mind that is…" Regina reaches for the bedside table.

Emma glances back at the v-shaped toy. She's already wet enough for it. Regina's thigh is soaked with her. "Not gonna use magic to add anything similar?" She palms Regina's hips with a chuckle, grinding them down against hers for some time.

"No." Regina's hips grind slower. "It takes too much concentration, I'm assuming so anyway, and I might accidentally make the shape-shift permanent. And I rather like my anatomy as is." glance downward, her eyes followed by Emma's.

"So do I." Emma feels her face heat, looks at the curves of Regina's pussy, and without knowing she was about to, reaches and hovers a hand close.

"Go ahead." Regina says breathlessly, hovering on her knees now. Knees that shake when Emma's fingers touch her lightly, pressing to her labia and stroking up slightly to play in the trimmed hair there. They both grip the toy then, nudging the short end between Regina's folds, and then Emma spreads her, finds her clit, and starts to stroke in short, light movements, dancing her fingers around the warmth she finds. Warmth and smoothness and then that slight twitch, as blood rushes there and Regina moans her approval. Emma starts to tug and stroke the length of her clit, pushing its hood back, and staring as Regina slides the toy inside herself with a gasp. If Regina seems like a total exhibitionist, then Emma now pegs herself as a voyeur, because nothing has ever been as sexy as watching Regina fuck herself.

Nothing, that is, until the large end of the toy touches Emma and Regina braces her hands on either side of her head and hovers there.

She palms Regina's breasts, feeling nipples harden against her hands. She spreads her legs far apart and breathes deeply as the toy pushes inside.

But then Regina laughs. "You keep falling out. The angle isn't right." Her forehead rests on Emma's chest while they adjust and Emma tilts her hips upward.

"Better?" Her voice is unrecognizably husky when she murmurs in Regina's ear, cupping the back of her head with one hand and winding the other arm around her lower back. Her knees slide up and down Regina's sides before she pins her heels to the backs of Regina's thighs.

Turning her head to the side, Emma watches the moonlight shine over the far wall. Her body is humming, her hands pull Regina closer, and it's the best fuck she's ever had and they've only begun.

She feels Regina's hips thrust carefully, almost too carefully, but the toy inside is still too cold and too hard and when she tries to thrust against the warm body atop her, it juts against her cervix and Emma hisses. Regina hums in sympathy and stills herself, kissing and nuzzling Emma's neck. When they move again, the sounds Emma makes are decidedly more than just comfortable. She moans at the fullness and pressure she feels, just as Regina seems to find her own rhythm, her own need for movement.

And then it just goes on and on, their bodies gently thrusting like they're back on water again. Energy moves between them, and the feel of Regina is all around—curled around Emma's body and pushing and pulling deep inside. Emma feels herself, swollen and full engulfing the toy that Regina slides quicker and harder now, her arms starting to shake as she braces herself.

"Need to switch?" Emma whispers in the darkness. Their mouths meet, tongues twisting and sliding roughly together until they both grin at the same time. Regina gives a playful bite and then falls to one side, pulling Emma on top of her. Her eyes are like fire when Emma starts riding her hips, positioning the toy so it hits them both perfectly. If she moves the base, it hits Regina's clit and she can thumb her own clit at the same time.

"Do you want to finish?" Regina's tone is almost shy, like she's sure Emma is going to turn this around on her somehow.

"Not yet necessarily." Emma decides. She grunts softly and rocks her hips back and forth. She lets her head fall forward, kissing and licking wet lines across Regina's chest. There is a surge of desire, pushing her closer to finishing, when Regina both cups her own breasts, pushing them out for Emma's eager mouth, and then starts thrusting fast and hard. She stops all at once, taking a deep, shuddering breath, and watches Emma suck on her breasts, one then the other, back again, blowing and laughing when Regina gasps at the cool air hitting her heated skin.

But then Regina's smile falters. "Are we really doing this?" She asks.

Emma nods slowly. "You're the only person I want to be doing this with."

"Since when?"

"I don't know." Emma lets herself lean forward, grasps one of Regina's hands in her own and presses it to the pillow. When she glances to the side, her cheek pressed to Regina's chest, she sees a mirror there. "That's not good for sleeping." She mutters. "Having mirrors in your room."

"Duly noted." Regina replies, smoothing a strand of hair away from her face. She also glances to the side and sees their bodies pressed together. Her hand splays over Emma's back and she starts to thrust upward. "I want you to cum for me." Her voice cracks uncharacteristically and she tapers off with a shudder. "Touch yourself," Regina commands.

"Bossy much?" Emma grins, kissing Regina's jawline as they both watch their faces in the mirror. She listens though, fingering her clit—which is suddenly so swollen and almost sore with arousal. She's not quite sure how it happens, but suddenly she's on her side, her whole body exposed to the mirror, and Regina is behind her. She lifts one leg and places her foot on Regina's thigh which makes the woman move faster, her hips thrusting while her hand plays over Emma's clit from behind. "You could have asked," Emma moans, turning her head slightly for a kiss which she gladly receives without any preamble or teasing. "Wait, stop!"

"What's wrong?" Regina does stop. Her fingers freeze over Emma's clit and she moves to pull back.

"No, stay. Wait." Emma glares suspiciously at their reflection in the mirror. "In that book. It said you were…well, anyway, the mirrors…"

"_These_ are not enchanted. Now please may I continue?" Regina finishes.

"Commence." Emma spreads herself again and pushes back while Regina's hips cant forward.

"Commence." Regina mutters then bites Emma's shoulder. "I should _commence_, what is this, the Queen's court? Are you ordering me to do your bidding? Shall I do parlor tricks for you?"

"Another time. That sounds like a fun role-play." Emma relaxes again, letting herself be pleasured. At one point Regina groans and presses her forehead to Emma's back, seemingly overwhelmed at the sight of it all. Emma is soaked, the toy slides easily now.

Because she's wanted this for a long time now, even if she couldn't admit it to anybody out loud. Ever since that first night when she saw Regina's haughty, pissed off looks, when she first laid eyes on that power-suit clad slim body, Emma had been hooked. It's taken far too long for this. For Regina to writhe on top of Emma, fucking her, pinning her, marking her with kisses and hickies and small bites when she gets particularly amorous.

Regina's voice now,

"I wanted to fuck you in the den that first night but I was afraid." She's breathless now, her hips moving in perfect rhythm to Emma's. She pushes until Emma is on her stomach and soon her hips bounce as she fists the sheets.

Emma reaches back and threads her fingers through Regina's hair. It's longer now, since all of their journeys began. Emma likes it this way, in gentle waves touching Regina's shoulders. Her heart swells. She's sweaty now, her pussy is almost sore, but she can't stop.

"When did you start to actually care about me then?" Emma asks, also breathless.

"Too soon to mention. I couldn't help it." Regina replies. Her fingers stroke up and down Emma's clit, circling the tip of it, so lightly it burns and rushes.

And then Emma is clenching helplessly against the thrusting object within her, feeling one orgasm aching from within while Regina continues to rub and pull on her clit and a second one follows, this one bringing Regina along from the sounds of it.

In a slightly comical move, Regina reaches between them and extracts the toy, now covered, and throws it onto the floor.

"What? No way." Emma is the one who gets up then, her legs shaky and sore, and retrieves the object with a tsk. She retreats into the en suite and cleans the thing in hot water and soap before leaving it to dry next Regina's toothbrush.

When she gets back, Regina is laughing at her, the wet spot on the hardwood already magic'ed away.

"You're adorable." Regina says, stifling a yawn. She pats a place next to her and unceremoniously goes right to sleep when Emma is curled against her.

"What the hell?" Emma mutters. "Aren't we going to talk about all of this?" She shakes Regina awake and asks the question again.

"No. Why? Because tomorrow you'll go back to your silly boys and your family that hates me and you'll pretend none of this happened. I understand." Regina tries to deliver her lines as haughtily as she can, but her voice cracks a little at the end. Just like it did before.

"I'm not…that's not true." Emma says. She pulls a sheet over their shoulders and shifts until her chin is pressed to the top of Regina's head. "That's not true." She says again, watching as Regina's expression turns to a grimace in her sleep.

The next morning, Emma wakes to see Regina still splayed on her stomach, her back exposed to the early morning light. She gets out of bed, letting her feet slap against the floor noisily. The day before feels like an odd dream. Not just the sex parts, but everything before it—the way they'd looked at each other. The way Regina touched her.

"I'm getting a shower." She stage whispers. Regina mumbles a little but nothing else. Emma gets to her feet and walks to the en suite, leaning into the clear glass stall to turn on the water. Once it's hot enough, she climbs in, looking over the products with a curious smile. "Expensive stuff," She says, loud enough for the woman now hovering in the doorway to hear. "Smells like honey." Her eyes meet Regina's and she smiles sheepishly. Regina looks grumpy as hell. But she softens when Emma starts to soap up her hair.

"May I?" Regina asks, her eyes move up and down Emma's body carefully, like she's not sure she should be looking.

Emma just nods and Regina takes the opportunity to slide under the water in front of her, taking over as Emma fails to get as many suds as she'd wanted. Emma's hands cup her shoulders as she adds more shampoo to her hands and threads them through long, blonde tresses. She washes herself while Emma rinses, then tips her head back in the water. As her eyes stay closed, Emma watches her, contrasting the tone of her hands with Regina's belly, splaying her fingers as far as she can over Regina's hips.

"This feels right." Emma mutters. Something flashes into her mind from a month previous. It had been a day like the one before it, Henry had just come back from school and they were making dinner. Just like always. But there'd been a look on Regina's face—of such fondness and for the both of them, for Emma and for Henry. She lets Regina soap her, lifting her arms and watching Regina's eyes. The way her gaze warms when she sees the scars on Emma's skin. The way a smile plays on her lips when she sees Emma's usual confused frown. She says it again. "_This_ feels right." And with a smirk of her own, she sinks to her knees and parts Regina's thighs. "Going for gold." She mutters, laughing in the spray of water, and parts her lover, holding her open while she presses her mouth to her, until water goes up her nose and she has to pull back, sputtering.

"Careful." Regina murmurs. Her hand on the back of Emma's head holds her away, not closer, and Emma covers it and pushes. She twists and turns her tongue, sliding and sucking on Regina's clit and labia. Her free hand grasps one perfect ass cheek and when Regina juts hard toward her, nearly whacking Emma's nose in the process.

"Ah, you be careful." Emma swipes at her chin and tries again, smacking Regina's ass as she sucks her.

Long minutes go by, the water starting to run cold, and then Regina starts rolling her hips faster against Emma's mouth. She gasps then cries out, "I'm close…come up here now…" and hauls Emma to her feet with arms much stronger than Emma had previously thought they were.

"Me again? It's your turn." Emma moans into her mouth, letting herself be pressed back against the wall. Regina holds one of Emma's legs up and plants her foot on the side of the shower stall. Two fingers slide quickly inside Emma's pussy, and she fucks Emma with those fingers while grinding her clit against Emma's thigh. It stings a little which heightens the sensations. Emma pushes down on Regina's fingers just as Regina crashes her hips against her. "Cumming…" Emma gasps.

"Me too." Regina cries out, this time much louder than the night before. They hold on for a minute, but then Regina shivers and Emma turns to shut off the water.

Over breakfast Henry keeps looking weirdly at them. He shovels a piece of toast in his mouth as he leaves, but before walking out turns and says, "You're sure you're not fighting?"

"No, why do you ask?" Regina replies, casually buttering her own toast, avoiding their son's eyes.

Emma spots a faint set of scratches on Regina's shoulder just as Henry guffaws and walks out the door.

Before Regina walks out, half an hour later, Emma grabs her around the waist, presses her to the door and kisses her until one foot hovers in the air and she's breathless.

"When we get home, we're talking." She tries to be forceful but it's hard when Regina looks so dazed and pretty.


	3. Chapter 3

After a day spent staring at the Sheriff's station ceiling (Emma tries to throw pencils into it like Fox Mulder but the pencils won't stick) she rushes home.

The truth is that she's not sure what they're doing. But the other thing is—she can't be _without _this thing they're doing.

She can't be without Regina. Regina and Henry are the only compass Emma has.

Which may or may not be sort of fucked up. Regina is part of the reason Emma has been alone for so long—Emma knows this. But at the same time, she wasn't responsible for all the people who let her down afterward. The foster families that threw her from place to place, her workers. Hell, even the store clerk who tossed her on her ass for stealing when she hadn't even done anything.

Of course Regina hadn't helped matters. Emma glowers when she remembers that first night in Storybrooke. That first morning, more like it. She's in a bit of a daze when she unlocks the door. There's a pile of firewood outside that she starts taking pieces from, piling the in her arms and bringing them to the den.

What if that first night had gone differently? What if she and Regina had made a connection then? She remembers thinking that Regina was so well put together. Her home, her clothes, even her hair. Everything in its place.

She lights the fire and sits awhile, watching it catch. Not long after, she hears the front door open.

When Regina comes in, she walks to the den with just a smile. While she pours them both a sifter of whiskey, Regina gently and efficiently informs her that their 'friends with benefits' package deal is just fine with her, and whatever she needs to do elsewhere is also fine.

Just like that, Emma's haze is gone. "What are you talking about?" Emma says the words slowly.

Regina turns, her eyes moist, her lips parted. She starts to say, "It's ok, it doesn't matter…" But Emma walks to where she stands and shakes her head.

"It does matter. It matters a lot. I'm here, Regina, I'm not out with some guy or chasing some dream my mother once had for me. I'm right here, with you. In our home. This is my home. And you are my family. You and Henry. Of course my parents as well but I mean you guys, you're it…you're the only home I've ever found." Emma hadn't meant to say all of that but there it is.

In the middle of her big speech, their phones buzz. Henry, the clever kid that he is, has sent texts to both, claiming that he needs to be out at his grandparents for the night for a very important project.

"Well then." Regina looks nervously around the room.

"Come on." Pushing aside her own nerves for a moment, Emma slumps in her chair. It's comfortable. The fire is warm. And the whisky is good. "You've got me for company. What more could you possibly want?" Emma closes her eyes and lets Regina's quiet laughter lull her. She hears Regina get to her feet and move to another room. Beside them, music begins to play. It's a mix of songs Emma had made recently on Regina's iPod, while she was off at work. She's pleasantly surprised to hear the mix in its entirety.

"Cute." Regina's voice floats from above her head. "Making me song mixes. You've been courting me for months now, haven't you?"

"Maybe." Emma accepts the shoulder rub that a song called Dirty Dishes by a band called Dear Tick, apparently inspires. "So. How was work?"

"Odd. The shopkeepers can't manage their rental issues. I told them to form an organization."

"Like a union?" Those hands squeeze and push along Emma's chest now, massaging small muscles she didn't even know were sore. The song changes. Different Drum—a song they'd played on a loop at Granny's when the jukebox was busted for an entire weekend. "Wait a second." She tilts her head back and meets Regina's bemused eyes. "You're going to put yourself at odds with Gold again, just for fun!"

"Maybe," Regina swirls her drink, super casual, like she's not totally causing shit for no reason other than to amuse herself. And to amuse Gold, for that matter.

Emma remembers a community dance they'd gone to months earlier. The old timey Enchanted Forest and Wonderland types had danced around in odd formations, to music played by a bunch of flute and banjo players. It had been fun but Regina, Emma and Henry had been total wallflowers. At one point, Regina had shouted to Emma, "This is what you missed out on." It had been meant as a joke, but it led to a lot of over-thinking. Like, would Emma have enjoyed all of those dances, including the ones intended on setting her up with other royal families? How had Regina felt about it all—what with her fucked up arranged marriage? The formalities of the Enchanted Forest couldn't be further from life in Maine in 2013.

Now Emma decides that she at least wants to experience the dancing part. And not with someone she's supposed to be with, but someone she chooses.

She hauls Regina to her feet and puts their glasses down for the moment.

The song is still kind of folky, so it's fitting. Regina laughs as their hips find a similar rhythm, their hands clasped together, until Emma yanks her practically off her feet and twirls her then pulls her super close, an inch from the floor, and sings loudly, "but honey-child, I've got my doubts, you can't see the forest for the trees…"

But before she can sing too much more, Regina cups her face and kisses her firmly. Then she pulls back and their eyes meet.

"You said I could never change." Regina interjects, interrupting their kiss while Emma stands there with her mouth still open. Her eyes burn.

"I said a lot of stupid things. So did you. We could spend the rest of our lives apologizing or we could spend the rest of our lives fucking." Emma sort of means it, as crass as it sounds.

"We'd get tired, either way." Regina nuzzles her cheek and kisses her neck, apparently happy with that response.

They sleep separately that night. It's not because Emma doesn't want more, but because she wants to pace herself, to take her time. If Regina is put out, she doesn't show it. Just takes a moment to adjust her thin, leather belt, then sways out of the room and upstairs, making sure that Emma sees what she needs to see to regret her decision only slightly.

For most of the night, Emma sleeps like a rock. She hears Regina puttering at one point, probably up for a glass of water or something. The sound is comforting.

Her dreams are odd though. She dreams that Hook keeps trying to build a house for her and Henry. Neal comes along and tells Hook to cut it out—to leave them alone. But when Hook just continues to hammer and saw with his one good hand, Neal resorts to throwing chocolate milk at him and tells Emma to go get Regina.

"_Tell her to do magic."_ He shouts. "_Tell her you need a hiding spell. Also, tell her that chocolate milk isn't good for her and get me this." _He holds up a small box—the one used to trap his father—and promptly starts weeping.

When she wakes from that one, she really regrets asking to sleep alone.

The next dream and the dream after that are all about her teeth. They rot, break, and fall out, all while Henry and Regina watch disinterestedly.

"_You'll be fine."_ Henry says, showing his own missing top row to her dream self.

"Ah!" She shouts when her alarm goes off at 5am. She's too hot and really groggy from her dream. Even a quick shower down the hall from her room doesn't help. It takes a long time—just sitting on the edge of her bed—to get her head together. She goes to her side of the closet and searches for her gym bag, making it out of the house before Regina gets up.

A half hour jog and some weights help clear the fog finally. She showers again at the gym and spends a long time combing her hair.

"How do you get those wonderous curls?" Comes a voice from the lockers one row over.

"You'd know, Rubes." Emma leans around the corner and grins at her friend.

"Mine are more of a wave." Ruby plunks herself on the bench and watches Emma peering into the small mirror on her locker. Her workouts are a sight to behold. She can outrun anybody in town, especially on days just before the full moon. Ruby nods at the mirror, "Careful with that."

"Huh? Why?" Emma uses her finger to twirl a chunk of hair perfectly over one shoulder. Ruby's words cause her to freeze a moment later.

"The Mayor is using some of her old tricks."

"What?" Emma squeaks, horrified.

"Gran says she got worried when some shape-shifter attacked you and Arch. So she started spying again. Don't worry," Ruby grins, "She's probably not in the gym. But I'm sure she's been watching the garage again." She leans forward and whispers. "Small time drug dealers are said to be roaming around those parts."

"Drugs? In Storybrooke?" Emma hisses. "Fuck. Dammit. Fuck, Ruby!" She slams her locker shut. "You're riding with me."

By noon, they've busted three small-time hallucinogenic mushroom dealers, all of whom specialized in cultivating the product back in the Enchanted Forest. On her way out of the garage, Emma taps on the mirror that the owner keeps beside his workbench and scowls into it.

She has to book people for the rest of the day. By the time she gets home again, it's dark. Henry and Regina have already eaten from the looks of it, and are both sitting in the living room. The kid does homework while Regina pretends to read the paper, looking both haughty and nervous—and a little guilty.

"Can I have a word?" Emma mutters in her direction, squeezing Henry's shoulder on her way past.

They go into the kitchen, and Emma waits while Regina retrieves a plate of food from the oven.

"I'm sorry." Is all Regina says. "I was just…trying to keep track of things." She looks sheepish. Emma can't help but let go of her annoyance.

Because sure, it used to be easier when they could just get into these battle of wills, but now they actually care about one another, so Emma does the only thing she can think of to diffuse it all. She steps forward and wraps an arm around Regina's shoulders, pulling her close for a quick hug. The food is forgotten on the counter for a few minutes.

"I worry all the time now." Regina adds. Her hands are cold and stiff on Emma's sides.

"Ok. Well. Let's deal with that." It's obvious how much more than 'worried' Regina is. They're quiet for awhile, just holding on. And then Regina says,

"I promise. The mirror in my room really wasn't enchanted."

Emma snorts and pulls back to brush the hair from Regina's face. They're standing with their foreheads touching when Henry walks in.

"Weirdos." He says in a singsong voice. "You took your dinner out from the oven only to let it get cold on the counter." While he talks, he rummages in the fridge for a snack. Then he returns to the fridge and grabs a plate of leftover greens.

"I made the salad. Eat it." He demands, then walks out again.

"Henry Mills." Regina growls. He turns back and smiles sweetly this time. She rolls her eyes and hands Emma the plate.

That night, Emma stays awake wondering about the calm before the storm. She drifts off with the thought that maybe it's all the waiting—waiting for the storms—that keeps them on edge.

The next night is their bi-weekly dinner with Snow and David. But not before Regina packs Henry off for a long-weekend with his father. Neal makes the drive himself and Regina calls in the middle of packing up his car to see if Emma wants to add anything.

"Seatbelts." Emma grumbles. "And tell Neal to feed him better food this time. And to get him to sleep at night. And…" Regina cuts her off though, chatting in the background with Neal about the first two demands.

After they meet them at Granny's, Regina exchanges oddly polite greetings with Emma's parents and then lapses into a silence that extends all through the main course. Emma and David talk about work and Regina politely asks if the Sheriff's office requires any further funding or personnel.

"Oh. Um." David looks surprised. "Thank you, Regina. But, I think we have it under control."

"I'm sure you do." Regina actually means it.

And then, when Regina immediately takes the bill, Snow actually looks a little suspicious.

"What's happening?" She asks her daughter in a low, hissing voice, pulling her aside while David and Regina chat.

"Nothing." Emma tries not to stutter.

She doesn't have a chance to ask Regina what the hell she's up to. They took separate cars and obviously do so again to get back home. And when Emma walks inside, Regina is already on the phone with Henry. When Emma takes her turn to talk to their kid, Regina retreats to do paperwork in her office.

It's still early, just about 8pm, when Emma says goodbye. Henry's car ride to the nearby town where Neal keeps a place for them had left him tired. So he and Neal had just watched movies and hung out. Things are fine. Boring and mundane and just…ok. They're all ok.

She can hear Regina clacking around in her office, typing and shuffling paperwork, when she wanders upstairs.

There had been a noisy house bothering them days previous, so she goes downstairs to putter with that. It shakes and vibrates when someone upstairs turns on the hot water, so she tapes a couple of wooden tomato stakes to it—something she remembers from the one foster home that paid any attention to her.

One of the rooms downstairs is a white-walled, empty storage space with only one long window opposite the door. She'd seen paint somewhere back where the tomato stakes were and goes back for them.

Sometime around 10pm, Regina comes down with tea and hands her a mug. She blinks at the painting and states plainly, "The tree they used to transport you to Storybrooke."

"Yeah." Emma takes a sip of her tea and watches as Regina waves her hands. Two swathes of wood—real wood—burst into elongated, carved shapes on either side of Emma's painting. It makes her start to cry and she isn't sure what the reason is.

"I didn't know you painted." Regina replies after a moment. She stands closer but doesn't touch Emma. Which…Emma prefers for some reason she's not sure of. The smell of Regina's perfume is calming enough.

"I…" Emma clears her throat and swipes at the wetness on her cheeks. "Foster parents taught me. One guy…he was all about home-schooling and stuff. I had to leave though ummm…" She takes a deep, shaky breath and stops. Her shoulders slump.

Then Regina touches her. It's firm but careful, just on one shoulder. Just behind Emma's heart.

Later, when Emma washes paint off of herself in the shower, she wonders how a body lets go of old pains. Does it bleed, sweat, cry it all out?

She doesn't have to knock on Regina's door. It's wide open and the bedding is pulled back for her already. Regina is in her pajamas, reading, and Emma slips her own towel over the back of the bathroom door before sliding into bed with nothing on. Her cheek rests on one hand on the pillow, and she falls asleep watching Regina reading some kind of business magazine.

Her dreams are happier then. She wakes from one in which she and Snow are talking about the school's basketball team and it's still dark and Regina is watching her and rubbing her stomach.

"Why didn't you like me when you first met me?" Emma voice is rough. Regina looks surprised at the question.

"I couldn't afford to like you. I thought you'd take Henry from me." Regina pauses. Her hand slides across Emma's waist and she pulls her close. "I like you now. A lot…"

As they kiss, Emma reaches quietly and slides Regina's underwear down and over her knees, before climbing between her thighs. Their bodies fit together perfectly. Emma has to take a deep breath before letting herself move. She presses her hand gently to Regina's throat, reaching between her legs with the other hand.

"…please…" Regina's voice has an edge of fear or something, Emma lifts her head to kiss her.

It doesn't take long, before Emma feels that rush in the low and deep, and Regina surging with her. She smoothes back Regina's hair and kisses her, swallows her cries when she cums. Regina's hands are moving fast between her thighs then and she hitches her own knees higher on the bed. Regina slides against her pussy from behind, she hunches and shakes when those fingers flick over her clit and she thrusts quickly and cums wetly against Regina's hand and belly. She lays there, breathing hard, and feels Regina reach down and touch herself. While Regina strokes herself to orgasm, Emma kisses her sweetly and rubs her shoulders.

And then instead of afterglow, there's a whole lot of chatter, mainly from Emma. She slides away from Regina, but keeps her arm and leg splayed over the other's still trembling body. "I want to make this town a home. A safe place."

"Ummmm…yes?" Regina huffs and grasps Emma's thigh, pressing it briefly to her groin while Emma just keeps talking.

"A place where we can feel like we have support and caring and where we can raise our children and let them go with all the trust in the world. But, I suppose we have to let him go sometime."

"What? Who? Whom? Oh." Regina clues in. "Henry." Regina blinks at the ceiling and nods slowly. "Of course. But we can't go on living in fear. It ruins a person's response time, amongst other issues." She ignores Emma's snorting laughter at that one. "And we can't teach him to be afraid. But letting him go—generally—this might be the hardest thing of all."

"Him with his dad for an entire week. Remember? Next month, we promised. That'll feel like an early rehearsal." Emma grumbles. Regina looks at her strangely. She realizes: this must have been how her arrival in town made Regina feel.

"I'm sor…" She starts, but Regina is just staring at her. Staring and staring and then leaning to capture her lips. Their eyes are open as they kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

The month flies by. They try to go out more. Especially as a family. Which, really, just results in more time with the Charming/White duo than Regina can totally stomach. It's all Regina's doing and Emma goes with it.

"Aren't you and my mother doing better?" Emma asks. It's an awkward question. Not because of the subject matter, but because Emma is still panting, sweaty and nearly satiated from the afternoon quickie they'd stolen in Regina's office. She doesn't even pull up her jeans, just sits there with a dazed look on her face while Regina does her makeup across the room.

"We'll be ok." Regina replies. Future tense. She looks at Emma a lot, with some question in her eyes.

Because at the end of the day, nothing has been really resolved. It's as though they're all locked in a neutral zone, living day to day, secretly wondering when the next crisis might hit. At least that's how Emma thinks of it.

And as great as the sex is, Emma can't help but wonder if she should be asking for more. She doesn't know a lot about Regina, and Regina doesn't know a lot about her. They're still more comfortable with each other than with most people, but they're both such closed books. She knows, in theory, that they should be talking more…or something. And it isn't Regina, it's her—she's the one who moves quick to the physical aspects of their relationship.

"Do you want to talk to Archie?" Regina surprises her by bringing it up, over breakfast at Granny's. Emma nods slowly, sipping her cocoa and watching Hook flirt with Tink to get her attention. Stupid. She rolls her eyes. And she still wants to laugh when Tink comes around. Because of the name and all. Regina looks at her with concern then takes out her phone to call for an appointment.

Soon enough, it's time for Henry to go to Manhattan for his Winter break with his father. Before Emma and Regina give their son over to Neal, he and Emma meet for dinner.

They go to the diner at the edge of town, near the tree that gave her her origin story in Storybrooke.

The coffee is awful, but the owners put cinnamon in it, so Emma treats herself to some late-night caffeine. Neal has pancakes and Emma nearly chokes when she sees it.

"Banana pancakes. Gross." She mutters.

"What's the problem?" Neal just smiles but looks a little confused.

"That's Regina's favorite also."

"Ah. Well. Maybe she and I will get along after all? We'll just bond over sugar soaked bananas." He isn't bitter, not like when he talks about his father and his magic, but Neal's tone is one part concern, two parts sarcasm.

"Maybe the hard part is…" He shrugs and smiles, his voice cracking.

Emma nudges him and tilts her chin. "What?"

"The hard part is that I know that look." He finally finishes, reaching his car and holding the passenger side open with a flourish. "It's the look you get when you're in love with someone. I should know it."

"I'm not…" Emma sputters and pales. For a second, the world sways a little. Then Neal's hand is on her arm and his voice is calming.

"It's ok, Emma. You deserve to be happy."

She sighs, sort of annoyed at his unwanted 'blessing', but he's trying. It's a start. She does manage to sneak in that whole thing about bad-mouthing Regina and he apologizes instantly. Which is nice. Still, he looks at her with those puppy eyes and he dares to ask if maybe, in the future, someday…

"No." Emma shuts it down quickly.

Regina and Henry are reading and waiting for her when she gets back. Mother and son give her identical searching looks, both arching their left eyebrow and pursing their lips in freakily similar ways. She sort of grins and grimaces at the same time and closes the front door carefully.

She has to be up early the next morning and so does Regina, so she goes upstairs for a shower instead of hanging out. As she's drying off and brushing her teeth, she hears the kid shouting out his good-nights and Regina moving about in the bedroom.

And because they have to get to sleep, she throws on pajamas and crawls into Regina's bed with a sweet smile.

"You're awfully presumptuous." Regina says rather cheerfully. She climbs in beside Emma and settles against her. "How was your little chat?"

"Fine." Emma shrugs and wraps an arm around Regina's shoulder, kissing her on the forehead. "Listen, I've gotta work late this week. Now that you're throwing your mirrors away, I've got some extra intel to do."

"Sure, blame the mirrors. When you know the problem is the damn Gnome drug trade." Regina is actually serious. Her hand sneaks beneath Emma's t-shirt, her nails scratch lightly as she grumbles.

Emma starts laughing. "Honestly. Have you ever listened to this shit?" She snorts and swats Regina's hand away when it tickles. "Gnome drug dealers. This fucking town."

"Indeed." Regina reaches for the light, then turns back. They settle on their right sides. Emma grabs Regina's hand and kisses it, planting it firmly against her chest.

They're up at 4am. Henry and Neal are driving to the airport shortly after. He comes in for coffee and toast while Emma and Henry check over the kid's baggage. And then they waste twenty minutes crushing their son in a hug, instructing him on what to do in the event of a plane crash (that's Regina) or a mugging (Emma's contribution).

"Nobody takes my stuff, moms, I'll fight them every step of the way," he cheerfully jokes to the latter instruction and blows them kisses as Neal does his best to put him and his stuff into the car.

Then they're late to leave the house because Regina's car won't start.

Which, in the end, is good—because there are some angry people waiting in Emma's office. The Seven Dwarfs along with Geppetto and Pinocchio (who Emma tries not to stare at because it's weird that he's August) are all there complaining about something the 'Evil Queen' supposedly did.

"Guys, are you sure you're not stuck in a time warp." Emma makes the mistake of muttering. She's trying to enjoy her coffee and the thought of Regina going all 'Evil Queen' on people is just ruining an already low mood.

And then Grumpy shouts, "Why are you always defending her?"

"Other than the fact that she's your roommate." Bashful says with a shy smile.

"And the mother of your child." Adds Happy.

Geppetto nods and waves his hand, "I agree with all of that. But someone has been altering our town through magic. Yesterday, two men started to argue at Granny's. And within minutes of their argument breaking out, a faint pink mist filled the air, smelling the place up like lavender and making the men fall into an odd sleep."

"Odd how?" Emma asks with a frown.

"Their eyes got real dark, they giggled a lot, and they ate all the cake." Pinocchio chimes in. "And a butterfly keeps following me around, asking for directions and telling me funny stories."

Emma kicks them all out of her office shortly after all of this. She eats the donut Grumpy had brought as collateral and sorts through her paperwork. It's better to let the weirdness slide.

She goes upstairs an hour before lunch and knocks on the Mayor's office, ignoring her secretary who just waves her in anyway.

"Hey, you really should make sure she's checking people's credentials and stuff, someone could…" Emma stops all her rambling when she spots Regina in front of a row of mirrors, watching a group of youth as they try to bully a little girl into giving over her doll. Regina waves her hand and the little girl grasps the doll easily, and then proceeds to run faster than anyone should be able to.

Regina sighs and turns in her chair. "You should talk to those children. They're being assholes." Her red silk blouse is striking, especially when paired with a similar shade of lipstick.

"Regina, you can't keep doing that."

"Why not? I'm stopping all the…" She waves her hand. "Bullying! Haven't you heard about the national campaigns?"

"Yeah, I have. What's going on." Emma takes the mirrors away as she talks, turning them all toward the wall. She sits in one of the chairs with her back to the door, waiting for Regina to join her. Of course Regina's diversion tactics now involve a whole lot of kissing and trying to shove a hand down Emma's shirt. "Nuh uh. I mean. Later." Emma huffs as Regina's palm presses against her crotch. "Shit. That's…Ok…_definitely_ later." She gives a quick kiss to Regina's neck then takes her hand and holds it. Holds the other one as well when it starts to wander. Finally, she circles behind Regina, wraps her in both arms, and sits heavily on the chair.

"This is absurd. You are holding me in your lap. I am a grown woman." Regina sighs melodramatically, but doesn't move. In fact she settles closer.

The silence grows. Finally, Regina takes a deep breath…

"Ever since we started sleeping together. I've felt this horrible wave of guilt. And then when you painted that tree." As Regina talks she eyes the bar, obviously interested in other distractions as well.

"Guilt over…" Emma just keeps her hands pinned to her lap. Her own back stiffens.

"What I did to you. I've never been sorrier. About anything. Except for putting Henry in danger. You're my...well. You're important to me." Regina's voice shakes and she clears her throat. This isn't about her. It's about Emma. And she's obviously trying to keep that in mind. "I'm sure that a 'sorry' wouldn't help much. But I am. Very sorry."

Knowing her own limits means sitting still then, because otherwise, Emma knows she'd just run out of Regina's office and maybe not come back. Because she does feel like shit about losing her parents. But this thing with Regina is her fucking choice. And nobody gets to take that away just because they feel guilty over ruining her fucking life in the first place.

She thinks about saying some of this out loud, but it doesn't come. Then they both just sit. And sit. Until Emma kisses her on the cheek and promises to see her at home.

Except that evening, Regina doesn't come home.

Emma is beside herself by midnight, but a quick call to Regina's secretary reveals a late night meeting with the former Kings of the Enchanted Forest.

She's sort of crushed by that. Because Regina choose work over her, sure, but also because she wonders whether their talk mattered at all.

But then her mother calls. It's exactly 1am and Snow is crying and laughing.

"Regina came by the school, where I was preparing lessons for tomorrow." Snow sniffles. "It was late, and to be honest, I was a little frightened. But she asked if she could fix my heart."

"She what?" Emma shouted.

"She said, 'I forgive you. Completely. For what happened to my mother.' And then she took out my heart—with my permission because honestly, I was curious—and we watched the darkness turn into a pinprick. And then she said, 'You have to forgive yourself now.'" Snow pauses. "And then the strangest thing happened next…"

"What was that?" Emma is sitting on the edge of her bed, clutching her sheet until her knuckles start to ache.

"A song came on the intercom. With the words, '_Oh oh oh it's magic, you know…never believe it's not so…'" _Snow just laughs.

"Fucksakes, she's running around controlling the radio waves now." Emma mutters and throws herself back on the bed. Her mother chatters on about other random stuff—her students, her course plans, the kid in her class who refuses to do any work whatsoever. By the time she hangs up, Emma is sleepy. She lets herself doze on the bed, taking in the scent of her surroundings as unique markers of Regina's presence.

The woman herself doesn't come crawling in until 2am. She's drunk as anything and smells like red wine.

"Seriously?" Emma squeaks as Regina kind of claws at her jeans. "What happened to you?"

"Late…policy decisions…" Regina actually hiccups between words. Bad news. "Had to pull a few fast ones…" She tries to undo Emma's jeans with her teeth but it doesn't work and Emma doesn't think it's a good idea anyway.

"Water. Downstairs." Emma pulls Regina up by her armpits and kisses her forehead.

Once Regina has a jug of water in her, the starry-eyed smile turns to a grimace. Emma makes her a sandwich and watches as she rolls onto her back on the kitchen floor.

"I had to outdrink the lot of them," Regina mumbles, arching back to eye the bathroom briefly. She seems to settle her stomach though and continues, "to make it to the end of the stupid meeting."

"I'm sure you outwitted them all." Emma sits next to her, handing over the sandwich. Regina eats the bread and the peppers but skips the chicken and cheese with a grimace. She doesn't seem to mind that Emma is just continuing to stare at her with adoration. "Hey, Regina?"

"Yes?" Regina meets her eyes again and repeats, "yes, Emma? Emmaaaaa. Emma Swan. The loveliest in all the land." She's really sweet and cheerful when she's drunk apparently.

But the next morning, she wakes in a foul mood.

They'd shared Regina's bed, yet again, and while it was still really nice, Regina's restless sleep and slight snoring (which Emma did find sort of cute) cut into their time.

"We're too isolated." Are Regina's first words when Emma wakes finally, blinking and gaping in confusion.

"Oh." Is all she says, before Regina bounds up and out of bed and takes her shower first.

Emma spends her day at work in grumpy confusion.

That night, Regina is late again. The night after that is the same routine, albeit without the drunken nonsense from the first late night at work.

Emma lays in her own bed, listening for the sounds of Regina's key in the lock. She doesn't sleep until she hears it, and hears Regina settling into her own room.

Finally, on the fourth night, she waits in Regina's room. She has a fire going and reads a book, waiting for what is thankfully, an earlier arrival than the ones before.

When she sees Regina, looking tired and disheveled despite the crisp lines of her thin skirt and white blouse, she puts her book down and smiles. "Hey…"

"Hey." Regina takes a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. I've had so much paperwork."

"Is that all?" Emma gets up and walks carefully over, taking a heavy briefcase from Regina's clenched fist.

Regina just shakes her head. "Emma…I have done terrible things. I said it myself. When we were tied to that stupid tree." She mutters something that sounds like 'stupid Neverland' which makes Emma smile sadly.

"I heard all of it." Emma says quietly. She leads Regina by the forearm until she moves to the chaise with her in front of the fire. They sit quietly for awhile, just watching the flames.

"I'm trying to make up for things. Somehow." Regina pauses when Emma starts rubbing the back of her neck. "And this is all moving fairly quickly, isn't it?"

Emma shrugs and faces forward again. "I don't do this, you know. Get into a…you know…relationship and all."

"Is that what this is?" Regina's lips are close now, and if Emma just tilts her head…

But no. She wants to talk about it. She doesn't know why but it seems important. Usually, Emma knows, she'd bolt by this point. Bolt or just distract herself with sex. But staying by Regina's side is the only thing that feels right. It's the rest that's murky. If they label it or name it or whatever, too soon, what then?

"Emma?"

Regina's voice shakes her from her overthinking.

"Yeah?"

"Could I…" As Regina speaks, hesitantly, she slides her hands around Emma's waist. The hopeful look on her face sets off an ache in Emma's chest. A hug. She wants a hug. And she's obviously not someone who's all that used to asking for one.

"Yeah." Emma says quietly, and pulls her close, squeezing tightly with both arms across Regina's back. She's able to lean back with Regina against her chest.

"Emma. I need to do this." Regina's hand cups her cheek now. "I need to make sure that I do the right thing so that I don't drag you and Henry into my darkness. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. I do." Emma doesn't. But she's trying. Sometimes things need to be done. At the same time, she has her own way. And Regina seems to respect it. "I just need you to trust me, ok? I can handle it. Whatever it is. Even, you know, if you're stealing town money to make Henry a playground." She earns a mock swat for that one and grabs Regina's hand with a grin, holding it to her lips, kissing each knuckle.

When they finally shirk their clothing and crawl into Regina's bed, Emma watches the last embers of the fire as they slowly cool, long after Regina has fallen asleep against her. Regina seems to crave simple affection like a hug and she's even more content with her whole body plastered to Emma's front.

Looking down at Regina's sleeping—and finally totally relaxed—features, Emma decides that they're on the right track. She figures that it's enough to just try to make Regina and Henry as happy as possible. That's all she really wants to do anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, this was an experimental story apparently, lol. I wanted to play with the idea of writing in the same choppy, sped up way as the show itself operates. I also wanted to toy with some elements of canon since most of my stories erase Neal completely. Not my best work but it was fun to write and that's what counts I think I might play with an epilogue and a interlude in the Enchanted Forest as two add-ons just to see how I feel about draughty castle lesbian sex scenes **

An hour long session with Archie sees Emma opening up just enough to admit that she's not much of a communicator, not much for sticking with relationships, and usually flees at the first sign of trouble.

Regina looks astounded. She crosses her arms—both shirt sleeves are rolled up like they're actually getting to work—and says, quite abruptly, "Tell me something I didn't already figure out about you."

"Regina," Archie halts her snark attack and holds a hand up gently. "It's a wonderful step forward to even admit these things." He turns to Emma and urges her to continue. She doesn't have much to add and spends a lot of time silently looking Regina over.

"Is there anything you need to tell me?" Emma asks quietly.

"No." Regina takes a deep breath. "Well. Maybe one or two things. I'm not yet sure, but I may have to leave for a little while."

"Leave?" Emma scowls, feeling a throbbing headache starting somewhere around her right temple.

Later, they regard each other somewhat warily over dinner at a Thai restaurant. But then halfway through, Emma gets tired of the tension weighing on her chest. She takes in the slight insecurity in Regina's eyes and the way her shoulders go rigid and she covers Regina's hand with her own. "I'm glad I'm going home with you tonite." Emma just blurts it out but that's the first thing that comes to mind.

"Me too." Regina replies quietly, her eyes softer than before. "I'm glad…about all of this."

"I'm just going to say it." Emma takes a deep breath. "I really care about you. Even though…you know…" Her eyes gaze dimly over Regina's head. "You can be a little…uhh…intense." Emma just sighs. Because it's true. And it can be jarring at times.

"Hmmph." Something plays across Regina's features—confusion, perhaps, or some other internal struggle. She forks a bunch of noddles into her mouth and chews. Regina has obviously had some experience choosing her words carefully, even when annoyed by something. "I used to do things differently." She starts. Her eyes finally meet Emma's and she says, "It took me many years to outgrow the whole 'don't disrespect the Queen' thing." She smiles but it's sort of sinister looking, and Emma can feel sweat forming on her lower back.

"Who uh…how did that happen do you suppose?" Emma is genuinely curious. There are so many blanks between them. Times when a story would have explained so much to the larger endgame.

Regina shrugs. "I had Jiminy Cricket for a shrink. And Granny just would not stop being nice to me. Nor would Ruby. That, and I took a potion to forget the fact that Henry was the son of the Savior so I spent a number of years just being Regina Mills."

Before Emma can squawk or swear, Regina smiles coyly at her and continues to eat.

By the time they leave, they're back to that quiet rhythm again. Emma falls into step beside Regina, reassured by the way their arms fall together and their bodies seek each other out.

The drive is quiet but Regina rests her hand on Emma's thigh the whole time. Then Emma watches Regina's back as they walk up the driveway. She remembers how much Regina would have given up for Henry, when she remembers what it was like to lose her, Emma decides that she'll keep throwing herself into this until it defines itself.

They stand together at the doorway, once inside, removing their coats.

"I need to freshen up." Regina's voice squeaks a little, losing some of its usual control.

"Ok." Emma can't help but smirk. Her own heart is just about beating its way out of her chest. She can see Regina's hands tremble when she reaches and slides her arms around her waist for a brief hug. "I'll see you upstairs." She peels off her own clothes fast and throws them into a guest room on the other side of the house. The hot water tank can take two showers going at once—a ridiculous perk of their home—but she makes quick work of it before padding back upstairs, dripping, in just a towel. It's her own room she goes to then, drying her hair as she moves through her space. There are candles she can light and a bed with crisp new sheets. She sits cross-legged on it, watching as flickering light fills the room.

When Regina walks in, almost tentatively, Emma pats the space next to her.

"Look." She points at the horizon which is almost strangely topaz colored. Her arm holds Regina around her lower back and they scoot closer when her own skin gets goose bumps. Regina's breathing speeds up when Emma kisses her bare shoulder.

"Let's get you under the covers." Regina mutters. She flings her towel onto the chair across the room and does the same with Emma's. Once they're beneath the sheets, her head rests on Emma's shoulder as they watch the dusk approaching.

"It's like home." Emma speaks so quietly that Regina only just hears her.

"This is your home." Regina's hand trails lightly over Emma's belly.

"Right. This is home now. But I did have a rocking apartment in New York."

Regina hums in sympathy but Emma can see the smirk on her lips.

"What exactly was in that spell you spelled up for me?" Emma punctuates each word with a kiss on whatever she can reach—Regina's temple, her forehead, and the hand that now lazily trails over her chest. She growls when Regina just laughs at her question. "Magic, right…" Emma laughs and turns, flipping Regina onto her back and hovering over her. Regina just flushes and grins with delight.

"C'mere…" She says, pulling Emma down into a long and languid kiss. Their legs slide together, and Emma feels herself getting wet. But she lifts herself higher. She doesn't want Regina to feel how wet she is and she doesn't want to make this about her.

"Your majesty…" Emma pulls away with a grin. "I won't do a thing you say…you have no power here…" She leans down again, bites her lip and waits a moment. And finally, Regina bursts into laughter.

"I've never laughed so much in bed you know." Regina says, almost shyly.

"I'm taking that as a compliment." Emma can't stop grinning. She brushes her lips over Regina's jawline, nuzzling her way up to her ear, then kisses her way across her cheekbones. Her heart feels like it's going to pound out of her chest. This obviously isn't their first time but it feels different and almost brand new. Her eyes stay intent on Regina's which trail over her shoulders and neck and chest. "Like what you see?"

"Uh huh." Regina seems short on words which makes Emma bite her lip to keep from laughing. Instead, she lowers herself onto her elbows and kisses her again.

Their foreheads touch and Emma brushes her fingertips over Regina's brow. She says, quietly, "Laying here with you, it's like the whole world has stopped just for us."

"_Oh_." Now Regina looks punch drunk. Apparently, someone whispering sweet things against her lips is new, because she seems really, really overwhelmed by it.

Whatever else might be happening in the world, Emma knows that this caring between them will grow into something more. She's finally relaxing enough to let it move at its own pace, even if the pace is a bit faster than she'd expected. She touches Regina everywhere, lets her hand bring all of that energy to the surface, before she touches the warmth between the other woman's thighs.

Regina's hands grasp Emma's shoulders and she latches onto Emma's neck, holding on around her neck while her hips rock against the hand Emma cups her with, two fingers curled inside, moving slowly for long minutes.

"You feel amazing." Emma tells her, watching in awe as Regina arches her neck and moans.

"I'm close…please…"

"Not yet." Emma stills her hips and kisses Regina's ear, caressing her shoulder with one hand while her other slides up and over her mound, avoiding her clit. "I want to make this so, so good for you." She grows serious a moment and adds, nudging Regina's chin until their eyes meet. "I want to be good for you."

"You are." Regina replies. She winds one leg around, pinning Emma closer.

"You're good for me too you know." Emma smiles again, kisses Regina on her chin. She begins to move her hand again, drawing it out as long as she can. She wants to give Regina everything—every part of her body, heart and mind. It's in giving that she finds herself pulling closer.

Much later, they lay side by side. Emma wants to ask more about this business of leaving, but she's afraid to.

"I didn't think I would be good for anyone again." Regina surprises her by muttering. The room is dimmer than before, some of the candles nearing their end. Emma slings an arm over Regina's hips, almost as if to pin her down.

"You're amazing." Is all Emma can think to say to fix all of those doubts. She _knows_ Regina. "And I wish you'd just stay. That we could just stay like this."

Regina's head turns away from Emma. In the darkness, Emma can see Regina's hands resting on her own chest. There is distance there for some reason. "You didn't think so before." Regina says quietly. "You said I'd always be this horrible person."

"I was just…I was disappointed." Emma moves onto her side. Her hand hovers a moment before resting on Regina's hip. She waits to see that Regina is listening. "Hey, after what you did for me. For Henry. I'm…I mean, I…" The words are strangled. Emma doesn't want to be one of those people who throws really important declarations around. But this isn't casual for her. She slides her palm up and over Regina's side, atop her shoulder, and squeezes gently.

It's almost abrupt, when Regina rolls over and covers Emma with her body. Regina's lips brush lightly over Emma's neck. When she raises her head to meet Emma's gaze, she starts to say something, but then seems to rethink it.

They kiss again and Emma immediately seeks out the hand that slips between her thighs. Her hips rock against Regina and the tongues slide wetly together. Normally she needs a lot more stimulation to get off, but the fullness of Regina's fingers, still and warm inside her, and the strength of the body that covers her, just topples Emma over the edge all at once. She clings to Regina's back, moaning against her lips, and clenches helplessly again and again. A second orgasm follows, when Regina tears her mouth away from Emma's lips to envelope one aching nipple, running her tongue roughly over it.

For whatever reason, it all makes Emma inexplicably emotional. She feels herself tearing up and hides it against Regina's neck. Her eyes close and her body relaxes and before she knows it, they're both drifting off.

They wake briefly to rearrange sleeping positions and Emma turns lazily onto her right side while Regina presses against her back.

She dreams strangely that night, about wolves and ravens and a dark castle she's never seen before. At some point Regina says, "this doesn't fix everything" but Emma kisses her and wishes it could.

They both sleep in the next morning and decide to take the day off. Spending it inside includes a movie marathon that they see little of. First, Emma wants to clean, then Regina distracts her from her chores with a ridiculous flimsy 'maid' outfit that had to have been a joke at some point. After a whole lot of sex and a little bit of household reorganizing, they decide to take a second day off, just to ensure that they're ready to face the world again. On the second evening, they eat dinner at Granny's after Snow calls and tells them that their hermit act has come to an end.

Of course they can't stay insular for very long. The things Regina did in the Enchanted Forest, to return to Henry and Emma, mean that she has to return there to rectify something of a small crisis for the people remaining.

Henry is still with his father, after requesting an extra two days to take a scenic drive back, when Regina gets word from Grumpy that she's needed. It's early in the morning so she waits until she's slipped Emma a cup of coffee to tell her.

"No, no, no, no." Emma's temper tantrum would be more dramatic if not for the fact that she's delivering her ultimatums naked and in the shower. Regina watches her warily while Emma crosses her arms and sulks. "We're coming with you." Emma, beneath the water as she is, sputters and chokes on some that gets into her nose. She uncrosses her arms and rubs her palms furiously over her face.

"You can't…" Regina starts.

"We are." Emma decides. "We're not going to be separated again. I don't care what you did or what you have to fix…"

"I have a spell to take care of…"

"Fine." Emma moves aside to let Regina beneath the water. She stands and looks at her lover and thinks about all of the things that have yet to be fixed in Regina's life. Well fuck it. She's part of that life also and she's going to help out. Not that she knows what the hell to do about Regina's vault of creepy hearts but obviously the whole thing needs to be sorted.

They work most of the day and sleep fitfully, and separately, that night. The next morning sees Emma off to work for an unnecessarily early shift. She spends the morning fighting panic and finally rushes up to Regina's office for what turns into an epic and silent cuddling session on the couch by the fire.

"This is weird. Even for you." Regina tries to tell her, finding a finger mashed against her lips and one arm and a leg pinning her down.

"I have to tell you something…" Emma nearly chokes on the words. This time, it's Regina who quiets her.

"Later. Not yet. There isn't a need to rush…" Regina adds, running her hands soothingly up and down Emma's arms. "We're going to be ok."

Emma gets a pizza for dinner that night. Two minutes after sitting down to eat, Henry comes bursting in with a grin on his face and a sheepish looking Neal in tow. Neal plunks a bag of treats from the city—cheeses and meats and breads from his favorite delis and bakeries—and sets about prepping things while Emma and Regina coo over their kid.

"Hope you don't mind…" Neal starts. Regina just waves at him to carry on, looking especially bright eyed at the bread. "We made good time on the road." He adds, watching as Regina starts checking Henry over like she's looking for injuries or something. Henry just smiles and lets it happen, pulling his mothers in for another hug again. This time, Emma kisses the top of Henry's head and then Regina's cheek, like she's stupidly happy to see them both together. Neal wanders into the kitchen to grab a bread knife and some butter and when he comes out, he asks his ex "What the hell is wrong?" Because he knows. Of everyone in their life, he'd be one of the ones to guess it first.

When Emma meets his gaze, she sees a muscle twitch in his jaw and smiles in a way she hopes is reassuring. Regina speaks to the issue, informing Henry most directly. The kid nods in agreement and opens his mouth to speak, but his father interrupts.

"I'm coming with you." Neal blinks. His tone changes when Regina looks at him with one eyebrow raised. "I mean. Please. I'm coming with you, please."

"What might you come with us for?" Regina asks carefully. Emma can see her fighting some absurd power play.

"I'm going to help. However I can. This is my family, I'm not letting you guys leave without me." He smiles, in the hopes of winning Regina over most of all.

She just sighs and rolls her eyes. "Fine." Now she meets Emma's gaze. "Time to face the world again. We've had a long enough rest, Savior."

**The End.**


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